Seanad debates

Tuesday, 5 November 2019

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Maria ByrneMaria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Senator Pippa Hackett to the Chamber and I look forward to working with her.

I agree with my colleague, Senator Richmond, regarding the women's hockey team. I must be parochial and single out Roisin Upton, who scored the sudden death penalty to win. It was great to see members of the Hogan and Upton families in the crowd. The team has given great pleasure not only to those at home in their sitting rooms but also to those present. It is great to see women's sport on the rise as well as support for women's sport.

I cannot let today go without raising the issue of University Hospital Limerick, UHL, which Senator Devine also raised. A total of 679 people are on trolleys nationwide, 63 of whom are in UHL. We are not even into the winter season yet. Throughout the summer, UHL topped the list and it tops it again today. It is unbelievable. A meeting of the Joint Committee on Health took place on 2 October, which I attended, even though I am not a member. Mr. Paul Reid, the new CEO of the HSE, attended as did the Minister. There was a commitment on the day that the Members from the mid-west would be met within two to three weeks of the meeting to examine the various issues facing UHL. That meeting has not happened to date. I have written several times and asked questions about it but I have received no response. Will the Leader follow up on when that meeting can be held?It is important that Members from the mid-west meet Mr. Reid and the hospital group's CEO, Professor Colette Cowan. This is not just about the patients who are on trolleys, but about the staff and conditions as well. We have the largest and newest accident and emergency unit in the country, yet the numbers are still rising. Ironically, more than a third of those on trolleys today are in the west. Mr. Reid needs to address this issue with the various hospital group CEOs, especially as it relates to University Hospital Limerick. I await the Leader's response, whom I am sure will revert to me shortly.

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